A longitudinal study of the incidence of leprosy in a hyperendemic area in Zaire, with special reference to PGL-antibody results. The Yalisombo Study Group.
Between 1984 and 1988, yearly surveys for leprosy were done among the 1500 people living in a previous leprosy segregation village in Zaire. In 1984 lepromin tests and phenolic glycolipid (PGL) antibody tests were done in a significant part of the population. The prevalence of the disease at that time was 16.1%, the proportion of multibacillary cases was 11.3% overall and 22% among active cases. Prior to 1984, 23% of paucibacillary cases and 56% of multibacillary cases had presented themselves spontaneously to the Leprosy Service. The exposure to the infection is uniform, but there is a suggestion of family clustering of cases. In spite of a rapidly bactericidal treatment of all known cases in 1984 and thereafter, the annual incidence of 0.34% did not decrease during the 4 years of the study. The PGL antibody test did not contribute to the diagnosis, classification or prognosis of the disease.
Groenen
G
G
Bureau National de la Lèpre, Kinshasa, Zaire.
Pattyn
S R
SR
Ghys
P
P
Tshilumba
K
K
Kuykens
L
L
Colston
M J
MJ
D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007916:Lepromin; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae; D007916:Lepromin